Crisis Chronology

BRAZIL

05/04/2024

A week of heavy rains has caused massive flooding in the south, primarily in the state of Rio Grande del Sul. More than a hundred have been killed and more than two million displaced. Rains continue.

02/08/2024

Judge issues indictment of Bolsonaro for allegedly fomenting a coup attempt after the 2022 election.

11/21/2023

Brazil records its highest temperature in history, 112.6° F (44.8° C).

06/30/2023

Court bars Bolsonaro from running for office for eight years due to his spreading lies about election fraud.

06/22/2023

Trial of Bolsonaro on abuse of political power – spreading lies about the legitimacy of the election while he was president – begins.

04/17/2023

Brazil foreign minister meets officially with visiting Russian foreign minister. Da Silva makes suggests that both the US and Russia decided to go to war in Ukraine and the US should stop “stimulating” the fighting. US protests such comments strongly.

01/16/2023

There are reports that Brazil’s senior army commander, Gen. Júlio César de Arruda, told new Justice Minister Flávio Dino that no one would be arrested at the January 8 assault on the government.

01/13/2023

Supreme Court says it will investigate Bolsonaro for inspiring the attack on the capital on 1/8.

01/13/2023

Supreme Court says it will investigate Bolsonaro for inspiring the attack on the capital on 1/8.

01/09/2023

There is increasing evidence that the security forces were lax in guarding the government offices and may have even allowed them to be attacked. The “bolsonaristas” arrived in Brasilia in dozens of buses but were not watched or restricted before the attack.

01/09/2023

here is increasing evidence that the security forces were lax in guarding the government offices and may have even allowed them to be attacked. The “bolsonaristas” arrived in Brasilia in dozens of buses, but were not watched or restricted before the attack.

01/08/2023

Bolsonaro supporters attack and invade the Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidential palace in Brasilia, breaking windows and causing other damage, seemingly calling for the military to intervene. President da Silva was elsewhere, in Saõ Paulo. He orders federal security forces to take control of the area. The police in Brasilia offered little resistance, perhaps because the attack was not heavily publicized in advance. Bolsonaro, who is in Florida in the United States, says nothing during the day.

12/24/2022

Man arrested in plot to detonate an explosive device at the Brasilia airport. He was a strong supporter of Bolsonaro, and police suspect that there was a wider plot to disrupt da Silva’s inauguration on 1/1/23.

12/14/2022

President-elect da Silva says that after he is inaugurated on 1/1/23, he will restart diplomatic relations with Venezuela.

12/13/2022

Bolsonaro’s supporters attack federal police headquarters in Brasilia.

11/01/2022

Overnight, Bolsonaro supporters block major roads throughout Brazil. In the late afternoon, Bolsonaro holds press conference and pledges to adhere to the transfer of power and the constitution but refuses to concede to da Silva.

10/31/2022

Bolsonaro still not agreeing to concede the election.

10/30/2022

Da Silva wins presidency

In voting today, Lula da Silva wins an extremely close vote against Bolsonaro, with 50.8% of the vote to Bolsonaro’s 49.2%.

10/06/2022

Simone Tebet, leader of the Brazilian Democratic Movement party and who came in third in presidential voting with 4%, endorses da Silva. Former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso also endorses da Silva.

10/04/2022

Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party wins 99 seats in the 513-seat lower house, the largest number for any single party. With its allies, Bolsonaro supporters now have about half of that house.

10/03/2022

Da Silva wins a plurality in voting for president, but at about 48%, his lead over Bolsonaro, who won 43%, is much smaller than expected. Polls had da Silva as much as 14% ahead. Other candidates, more centrist than da Silva, will decide whom to endorse in the coming days, and their support could prove crucial for either candidate. A runoff will be held 10/30. Bolsonaro supporters ran strongly in the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate, although it is too early to tell who will hold power in these bodies, given the very large number of parties represented. However, the conservative Liberal Party will hold a plurality in both houses.

10/02/2022

Brazilians vote for president and legislature.

09/28/2022

Bolsonaro’s political party, the Liberal party, issues a statement, without proof, saying that the government employees and contractors could alter votes without detection. The election commission vehemently denies this. There has long been speculation that Bolsonaro would try to deny the results of the election if he loses, and he is currently well behind da Silva in the polls. The Supreme Court said it will investigate the party about the statement.

06/13/2022

Military now echoing Bolsonaro’s baseless claims that the election is open to fraud and may be stolen. An electoral commission set up to reassure voters about the validity of the voting has invited the military to participate in the electoral process. Bolsonaro has suggested the military should conduct its own parallel count of the vote. Bolsonaro has been consistently behind in polls about the election and many fear that he is constructing the basis for a coup.

05/07/2022

Da Silva officially launches his campaign for president.

04/12/2022

Brazil’s election authority invites EU observers to the upcoming election for the first time in its history. There is a fear that Bolsonaro will reject the results of the election if he loses.

03/08/2022

General election to be held 10/2. Bolsonaro is trailing da Silva due to high inflation. His visit to President Putin just before the invasion of Ukraine was a risk for him, but then he declared neutrality about the war in Ukraine, alienating voters on both sides.

12/27/2021

Unprecedented heavy rainfall breaks dams and causes thousands to flee.

12/13/2021

More than 75% of adult Brazilians are now vaccinated.

11/11/2021

Bolsonaro, required to join a political party ahead of the election on 11/22, joins the centrist Liberal Party, perhaps indicating an attempt to gain wider support.

10/27/2021

Senate releases a report recommending that Bolsonaro face criminal charges for multiple crimes, including crimes against humanity, due to his response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prosecution would fall to Prosecutor-General Augusto Aras, a Bolsonaro ally, so prosecution seems unlikely.

10/27/2021

Central bank institutes the largest raise of interest rates om twenty years in an attempt to reduce inflation.

09/10/2021

Bolsonaro has issued rules that prevent social media from removing content unless it is about nudity, drugs, violate copyright, violence or crime. Bolsonaro has used the social media to push drugs for COVID-19 that are not scientifically proven.

09/07/2021

Bolsonaro supporters march on the Supreme Court and Congress in Brasilia, breaking through police barriers in emulation of the attack on the US government on 1/6/21. Also emulating former US president Trump, Bolsonaro has said that he would not accept the results of the election if he does not win.

06/20/2021

COVID-19 deaths surpass 500,000, second only to US death toll. There are widespread protests against Bolsonaro.

04/30/2021

COVID-19 ravaging South America, in part due to massive outbreak of variant and ineffective response to it in Brazil. Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru all record highest death toll.

03/30/2021

Bolsonaro fires remaining members of heads of the armed forces after two resign in protest.

03/29/2021

Bolsonaro announces cabinet reshuffle, naming new heads of Defence, Justice, Foreign Ministry, the Attorney General, the Chief of Staff, and the Secretary of Government. Defence Minister is said to have resigned over Bolsonaro’s suggestion that they publically announce support for him.

03/17/2021

Brazil records 90,000 new cases of COVID-19, a new record.

03/11/2021

COVID-19 and a highly transmissible variant have overwhelmed hospitals. Bolsonaro refuses to order any restrictions. A few local officials have tried restrictions, with little success.

03/08/2021

Supreme Court judge annuls corruption convictions of Lula da Silva, allowing him to run for office.

02/22/2021

Stock prices in Petrobras and in the value of the real fall sharply.

02/19/2021

Bolsonaro nominates an army general to run Petrobras, after protests by truckers after a rise in diesel and gas prices.

02/04/2021

Brazil has the second-worst number of COVID-19-related deaths in the world, and has failed to respond in any adequate way. Bolsonaro is booed in parliament when he presents his legislative agenda, but his allies have taken control of both houses of the legislature. Brazil has recorded over 900,000 cases and nearly 230,000 deaths.

11/30/2020

Critics of Bolsonaro win mayoralties of several major cities.

11/14/2020

Municipal elections, seen as a test of Bolsonaro’s rule.

10/11/2020

Largely due to the economic aid provided by the program called Bolsa Familia (originally put forward by the Socialists), Bolsonaros’s popularity has reached an all-time high. The payments are scheduled to end in December. The national debt will rise to more than 125 billion pounds this year.

10/11/2020

Largely due to the economic aid provided by the program called Bolsa Familia (originally put forward by the Socialists), Bolsonaros’s popularity has reached an all-time high. The payments are scheduled to end in December. The national debt will rise to more than 125 billion pounds this year.

09/24/2020

Samba schools in Rio postpones Carnival parade due to COVID-19 pandemic. They organize the event.

09/04/2020

Brazil now with second-highest COVID-19 outcomes in the world, with more than 4,000,000 cases and 125,000 deaths.

09/04/2020

Brazil now with second-highest COVID-19 outcomes in the world, with more than 4,000,000 cases and 125,000 deaths.

08/23/2020

Newspaper alleges that Bolsonaro’s wife received a large payment from a former policeman said to be connected to Rio’s mafia.

08/21/2020

Bolsonaro’s approval ratings gain substantially. He has given low-income and informal workers stimulus checks of about $200, has been less confrontational, and the COVID-19 pandemic has stabilized at a high level, which Brazilians seem to be accepting. Brazil now has more than 3.5 million cases and 110,000 deaths.

07/21/2020

Brazil now has more than 2.1 million cases of COVID-19 and 80,000 deaths.

06/22/2020

Brazil passes 1,000,000 cases of COVID-19 and 50,000 deaths, the second largest amount in the world for both. The US is the largest.

06/18/2020

Education minister resigns. Brazil now has about 980,000 COVID-19 cases and 48,000 deaths, second most in the world.

06/03/2020

Brazil now has more than 555,000 cases of COVID-19 (the second-most in the world after the US) and 31,000 deaths, (the third-most in the world after the US and Italy.

05/24/2020

US bans travel from Brazil. Brazil has about 350,000 cases of COVID-19 and 22,000 deaths.

05/23/2020

Court allows release of a video recording of Bolsonaro asserting that he will dismiss security officials or ministers to prevent him and his family from being “screwed.”

05/15/2020

Health Minister Dr. Nathan Teich resigns, the second to do so in a month during the COVID-19 pandemic. He gives no reasons.

05/14/2020

Record one-day rise in COVID-19 cases. The pandemic is especially bad in Manaus. Brazil has more than 200,000 cases and about 14,000 deaths. Bolsonaro continues to make dilatory steps to confront the crisis and some of his supporters call for the military to take over the government in support of him.

04/28/2020

Supreme Court allows investigation of accusations that Bolsonaro tried to influence federal police investigations.

04/26/2020

After Bolsonaro fires the head of thenational police, widely admired Justice Minister Sergio Moro resigns, a public relations blow for Bolsonaro. The attorney general asks the Supreme court to investigate Moro’s depiction of events. Two of Bolsonaro’s sons are under investigation are under criminal investigation by the Supreme Court or the federal police.

04/20/2020

Bolsonaro joins anti-mitigation demonstration.

04/16/2020

Bolsonaro fires health minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta over disagreements about COVID-19 response. Mandetta called for stricter distancing and no reopening of the economy.

04/01/2020

Bolsonaro denies the danger of COVID-19 outbreak for Brazil. In addition to COVID-19, there will be influenza and dengue fever outbreaks.

03/20/2020

Brazilians demonstrate against Bolsonaro with “panelaco,” banging kitchen pans out their windows. He is being criticized for a blasé reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a weak economy and his family’s alleged compliance with militia groups, something he denies.

02/26/2020

Brazil confirms first case of COVID-19.

12/02/2019

US imposes tariffs on meat on Brazil and Argentina.

11/21/2019

Pres Bolsonaro forms new political party, the Alliance for Brazil, to fight “communism, globalism and any ideology that is against the natural order" and to gain support of evangelical Christians. The party will need to gather 500,000 signatures to run candidates in municipal elections in 2020. His support in the rightist Social Liberal Party (PSL) of which he has been a member has declined.

11/08/2019

Supreme Court overturns a lower court ruling that the accused must remain in prison during appeals after a conviction. Lula da Silva is freed.

08/27/2019

Brazil rejects G7 offer. Bolsonaro suggests that foreign countries want to control Brazil. He subsequently demands an apology from Macron and then says he will accept money as long as his government determines how the money is used.

08/26/2019

G7 offers $22 million to combat Amazon wildfires in Brazil. UK and Canada make separate offers totaling approximately the same.

06/09/2019

Investigative news site Intercept reports that the justice minister and prosecutors collaborated to convict da Silva and prevent him from running the 2018 election.

05/09/2019

Former president Temer arrested in corruption case involving the Electrobras nuclear plant.

03/21/2019

Temer arrested in bribery investigation.

01/09/2019

Brazil leaves UN migration pact.

01/03/2019

Following Bolsonaro’s inauguration, stock markets soar. Bolsonaro authorizes the dismissal of government contractors who do not share his ideology.

11/14/2018

After Bolsonaro criticizes Cuban program that sends doctors to remote areas of Brazil, Cuba withdraws the doctors.

10/31/2018

Bolsonaro confirms reports that he will move the Brazilian Israel embassy to Jerusalem.

10/28/2018

Bolsonaro elected president

Bolsonaro wins presidency with about 55.5% to Haddad’s 44.5%. But Bolsonaro can count on only about 106 of 308 in the Chamber of Deputies and 8 of 54 senators.

10/08/2018

Bolsonaro wins 46% of first-round votes, to 29% for Haddad. A second round of voting will be held 10/28. Bolsonaro seems the likely winner, since the Workers Party is seen as part of the corrupt government and in part responsible for the economic woes. Bolsonaro’s formerly small Social Liberal Party (PSL) appears to have won the second-largest bloc of seats in the National Congress. He says he will drastically cut the size of government and privatize many of the state-owned companies.

10/02/2018

Business increasingly in favor of Bolsonaro, who generally favors private business and free markets. Bolsonaro moves ahead of Workers Party candidate Fernando Haddad in a runoff, which seems likely. Stocks gain ground on the poll news. Bolsonaro has been criticized for making prejudicial remarks, and it is not clear that he has broad support in parliament.

09/17/2018

Christina Fernandez charged with being in charge of a large network of corruption that provided her with many deliveries of bags of cash.

09/11/2018

Da Silva withdraws his candidacy. The Workers Party (PT) vice-presidential candidate, Fernando Haddad, will take his place. Bolsonaro is said to need another surgery, though he is recovering.

09/10/2018

Bolsonaro said to be improving.

09/06/2018

Brazil presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro is seriously wounded in a stabbing attack during a campaign appearance.

09/01/2018

Brazil court bars da Silva from running in the election. He will appeal.

08/20/2018

After Venezuelans in refugee camps are attacked by townspeople in a northern border town, government orders troops in to end violence.

08/05/2018

Bolsonaro chooses retired general Antonio Hamilton Mourão to be vice-presidential candidate. Mourão once suggested a military coup would be necessary of the Brazilian courts did not punish corrupt politicians.

08/04/2018

Workers’ Party nominates Lula da Silva, currently in prison, to be presidential candidate, though it is not clear he can run, whether released or not.

08/04/2018

Workers’ Party nominates Lula da Silva, currently in prison, to be presidential candidate, though it is not clear he can run, whether released or not.

08/04/2018

Chamisa says he will pursue legal challenges to the election outcome.

07/08/2018

Head of federal court Eduardo Thompson Flores overrules a decision by a lower court judge on 7/7, ordering that da Silva remain in jail.

07/05/2018

The current frontrunner in opinion polls ahead of Brazil’s October presidential election is Jair Bolsonaro, both admired and scorned for his open admiration for military rule. Bolsonaro joined the party he will lead, the Social Liberal Party (PSL), just six months ago. The PSL currently holds just nine of the 513 seats in the lower house of congress and none of the 81 seats in the upper house.

12/26/2017

Brazil expels Venezuela’s most senior diplomat.

12/25/2017

Venezuela expels top diplomats of Canada and Brazil, accusing him of meddling in internal affairs. Both countries have criticized Venezuela’s recent actions.

10/25/2017

Brazil Chamber of Deputies votes against suspending Pres Temer, 251 against suspension, 172 in favor.

10/12/2017

Former Venezuela AG posts video showing Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht employee relaying bribery demand of $35 million from Maduro in 2013. Brazil prosecutor confirms authenticity of the recording.

09/24/2017

Riots erupt in a slum in Rio.

09/12/2017

Supreme Court authorizes an investigation of Pres Temer of accepting bribes from logistics firm Rodrimar SA.

09/08/2017

Prosecutor files charges against Temer’s Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, accusing it of being a criminal organization.

09/05/2017

Prosecutor charges Rousseff and da Silva and others with forming a criminal organization through the Workers Party.

08/08/2017

Temer asks that prosecutor investigating corruption be removed because he is personally motivated.

08/02/2017

Chamber of Deputies votes against indictment of Temer, 263 opposed to 228. A two-thirds vote would have sent the case to the Supreme Court for trial. However, the court is expected to charge him with obstruction of justice.

07/12/2017

Former Brazil Pres. Lula da Silva sentenced to ten years for corruption. He will appeal, which could take many months.

07/10/2017

Lower house begins debate on whether to indict Temer for receiving bribes.

06/30/2017

Large protests calling for Temer to resign.

06/21/2017

Brazilian federal police report says Temer probably benefited from bribery scheme. If the prosecutor seeks an indictment, the lower house of Congress would have to approve it. If the Supreme Court confirms that decision, Temer would be suspended for 180 days. Temer denies the allegation.

05/21/2017

Protests against Temer continue, but important coalition partner Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) delays decision on whether to leave.

05/17/2017

Witness in corruption scandal claims that Temer discussed paying off a witness against Cunha. Temer denies it.

04/28/2017

Nationwide strike precipitated by more restrictive pension law proposed by Temer paralyzes Brazil. There is some rioting.

03/30/2017

Former speaker of the House, Eduardo Cunha, is sentenced to fifteen years in prison in Car Wash corruption scandal.

02/11/2017

Striking police refuse to return to work in Espirito Santo State, despite government announcement of an agreement. There has been a surge of crime, including murders, during the strike, which is illegal in Brazil. The police are demanding better pay.

02/07/2017

Court orders the arrest of former president Alejandro Toledo for corruption in office, a scheme also sourced to Odebrecht, a company at the base of the corruption investigation.

01/19/2017

Supreme Court Justice Teori Zavascki, who had been in charge of the corruption investigation Operation Car Wash, is killed in a plane crash.

12/13/2016

Senate passes austerity law placing a 20–year cap on government spending. There are protests around the country. This and other proposed measures are aimed at improving the economy.

12/06/2016

Senior Supreme Court judge recommends that Calheiros remain in his position but be removed from the line of succession during his trial.

12/05/2016

Supreme Court justice removes head of the Senate, Renan Calheiros, from his position, citing a corruption case against Calheiros.

11/25/2016

Minister of Internal Integration Geddel Vieira Lima resigns after revelations that he and Temer pressured culture minister to approve a real estate project.

11/16/2016

Investigators arrest former governor of Rio state.

10/19/2016

Investigators arrest Edwardo Cunha.

10/10/2016

Investigators file new charges against Lula da Silva involving payments from an engineering company that received a contract for work in Angola.

10/02/2016

Voting in regional and local elections, the first elections since the impeachment of Rousseff.

09/30/2016

Rousseff impeached; Michel Temer assumes presidency

Senate votes 60 to 20 to remove Rousseff from office. Temer remains as interim president, serving out Rousseff’s term, which ends 01/01/19. Rousseff says she will appeal to the supreme court.

09/14/2016

Prosecutors file corruption charges against Lula da Silva

Prosecutors file corruption charges against Lula da Silva in the investigation that includes the Petrobras bribery scheme. They call da Silva the person in charge of a vast bribery and money laundering system, although the specific charges relate to improvements he received for free on a beachfront apartment.

09/12/2016

Eduardo Cunha, leader of the effort to oust Rousseff but a target of the corruption investigation, is expelled from the House. The removes his legal protection from prosecution. He is likely to be barred from running for office for eight years.

08/10/2016

Senate votes to indict Rousseff on charges of breaking budget laws and prepares for trial.

05/31/2016

Anticorruption minister (officially the minister of transparency) Fabiano Silveira resigns after a recording suggests he tried to stall the investigation into Petrobras.

05/23/2016

News reports of recordings of a discussion between cabinet minister and businessman indicating that Rousseff’s impeachment was part of a strategy to derail the Petrobras investigation. The minister, Romero Jucá, denies guilt but resigns his cabinet post and returns to the Senate.

05/12/2016

In early morning vote, Senate impeaches Rousseff and suspends her from office. Michel Temer will be interim president. His cabinet nominations signal a strong shift to the right. No women are included.

05/10/2016

Maranhão rescinds his decision to annul impeachment vote.

05/09/2016

New speaker of the Deputies’ Chamber Waldir Maranhão announces that he will try to annul impeachment vote. Senate leaders say they may ignore the edict. Maranhão says that procedural rules were broken in the voting and that another vote should be held.

05/05/2016

President of the Deputies Chamber House Eduardo Cunha, leader of the impeachment effort, is ordered by the court to step down because he is facing a corruption trial. He is also eliminated from the line of succession for president. Temer was ordered to pay a fine earlier this week for violating campaign finance laws.

05/03/2016

Prosecutor of Petrobras scandal says there is not enough evidence to pursue a case against Vice-President Michel Temer.

04/18/2016

The House of Representatives impeaches Dilma Rousseff

After two days of voting, the House of Representatives votes to proceed with impeachment proceedings.

04/06/2016

Legislator’s report recommends that impeachment proceedings against Rousseff be pursued. The lower house, by a two-thirds majority, will vote to impeach or not and the Senate would conduct the trial, which will be decided by a simple majority. The charges are that Rousseff improperly covered up deficits in the government budget. The tactic is that the government does not pay banks that finance social programs, forcing the banks to pay the money and reducing government outflows. It is a maneuver often used previously by the government. However, the financial scandal involving Petrobras and the Workers’ Party is the primary motive behind the impeachment.

04/05/2016

Supreme Federal Tribunal orders that an impeachment request against Vice-president Michel Temer be considered while the legislature is reviewing impeachment of Rousseff. Temer had been expected to take over the government if Rousseff is impeached.

03/31/2016

Supreme Federal Tribunal takes over da Silva’s case because of some telephone intercepts that were released by the judge in charge, who has been pursuing corruption charges against Petrobras. The court has still to rule on the nomination of da Silva to the cabinet.

03/29/2016

The Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) quits the governing coalition, increasing the likelihood that Rousseff will be impeached.

03/23/2016

Supreme Federal Tribunal says that da Silva’s corruption case is in their jurisdiction.

03/18/2016

One judge of the Supreme Federal Tribunal suspends the nomination of Lula da Silva. The entire panel of the must review his decision.

03/16/2016

Amid continuing protests against Rousseff, she nominates Lula da Silva to be her chief of staff, making him a member of the cabinet and therefore immune from prosecution while he is in office. A large number of senior officials can only be tried by the Supreme Federal Tribunal, where cases linger for years.

03/15/2016

Large protests against Rousseff gain force, a result of economic stagnation, corruption investigations, and discord among top party officials.

03/13/2016

Large protests in cities across Brazil against Rousseff.

03/09/2016

Prosecutors charge Lula de Silva with corruption related to a luxury apartment he owns.

03/03/2016

Economy is shrinking, and Rousseff continues to face new accusations about corruption in her administration. The latest is a charge that she arranged a judge’s appointment to aid Petrobras executives in the case against them.

01/25/2016

Zika virus, which causes birth defects but shows few symptoms in infected adults, has resulted in more than 4000 babies with microencephaly.

12/02/2015

Speaker of the lower house, Eduardo Cunha, agrees to begin impeachment hearings against Rousseff. Impeachment would require a two-thirds vote in the House of Representatives, which is unlikely. Cunha is accused of taking $40 million in bribes for himself and allies in the Petrobras scandal.

12/01/2015

As corruption scandal widens and deepens, Brazil's economy is reported to have shrunk in the third quarter.

10/02/2015

Rousseff institutes largely symbolic austerity measures at the top of government, reducing her own and others’ salaries and the number of cabinet ministers.

07/28/2015

Former head of nuclear program, Othon Luiz Pinheiro da Silva, arrested for graft as Petrobras scandal widens to other parts of government.

07/16/2015

Lula da Silva being investigated for corruption.

05/01/2015

Government open investigation into influence peddling in da Silva’s businesses.

04/26/2015

With Rousseff’s low popularity, the head of the Senate, Renan Calheiros, and the speaker of the lower house, Eduardo Cunha, gain power by opposing Rousseff. The very low approval rating of the congress has raised slightly as a result. They are both members of the centrist Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), a major part of Rousseff’s governing coalition, as is Vice-President Michel Temer. Both legislators have also been repeatedly accused of corruption, though no investigations have resulted in charges.

02/15/2015

Severe water shortages in many parts of Brazil – a combination of a drought in the southeast, pollution, mismanagement, and deforestation.

02/04/2015

Leaders of Petrobras resign amid widening corruption scandal that may involve payments to the governing Workers’ Party.

01/14/2015

Former law enforcement officers an increasing force in conservative politics. More than twenty now form what is called the “bancada de bala,” or “bullet caucus” in Congress.

10/26/2014

Rousseff wins by a small margin, 51.6%.

10/05/2014

Rousseff wins about 42% of the vote, but will have to face a runoff with Neves, whose 34% put him ahead of Silva, whose policies were poorly presented and who received about 21%. The runoff will be held 10/26.

09/15/2014

Marina Silva, now the candidate of the Brazilian Socialist Party, is contesting the presidential race closely. A former Communist who became an environmentalist and an evangelical Christian, she attracts support across the left.

09/07/2014

Effects of corruption scandal Operation Car Wash widespread in the government

Scandal involving kickbacks by state oil company Petrobras to many in the government erupts. Story in media is based on confidential testimony by Petrobras official. The investigation, known as Operation Car Wash, began in 2008 focused on money laundering at a gas station in Brasilia but has widened vastly and includes the state oil company as part of an enormous corruption system.

08/13/2014

Presidential candidate Eduardo Campos of the Brazilian Socialist Party dies in the crash of a small plane that was his campaign transportation. A left-leaning businessman, Campos was running third in polls behind Rousseff and Aécio Neves of the centrist Social Democrats. However, his vice-presidential running mate, Marina Silva, is well-known, having run for president and finished third in 2010. Her support then forced a runoff that Rousseff won, and would likely do so again.

06/09/2014

Large protests in several cities around beginning of the World Cup, on 6/12, especially in Saõ Paulo. There is general dissatisfaction with the spending and waste associated with preparing for the Cup.

07/04/2013

Leaders of governing coalition in parliament agree to hold a referendum on political overhaul, but do not fix a date or set a schedule for it.

07/02/2013

Rousseff, her poll numbers plummeting, sends a list of reform proposals to the congress, calling for campaign finance reform, an end to anonymous voting in congress, and perhaps a change from proportional voting to district voting for congress.

06/24/2013

Rousseff proposes a constituent constitutional assembly to address issues brought up by protestors.

06/19/2013

Government rolls back bus fare increases, but protests continue to grow.

06/18/2013

Protests grow despite conciliatory gestures from government.

06/17/2013

Large-scale protests in several major Brazilian cities against cost of living and government spending on stadium projects being built for the World Cup tournament in 2014. The protests began in Porto Alegre over bus fare increases and spread to Natal after fare increases there. The movement has since evolved into a broader and less defined protest, and intensified after harsh police crackdown last week.

03/26/2013

BRICS group agrees to form a bank for investments in infrastructure and other development in emerging economies.

11/12/2012

José Dirceu de Oliveira e Silva (Mr. Dirceu), former chief of staff for Lula and powerful figure in the Workers’ Party, is sentenced to eleven years in prison for orchestrating a vote-buying scheme.

08/18/2011

Corruption accusations affecting Rousseff’s administration

A fourth member of the cabinet resigns, the third to step down because of corruption accusations since Rousseff took office.

10/31/2010

Dilma Rousseff elected president

Rousseff wins runoff, 56% to 44%.

10/03/2010

Rousseff leading in election this day, but will probably face former governor of Saõ Paulo, Jose Serra, in a runoff because of the strong showing of Marina Silva of the Green Party, who won 19% of the vote.

09/16/2010

Da Silva’s chief of staff resigns after corruption allegations. She had taken the position so that the former chief of staff and da Silva’s choice to succeed him, Dilma Rousseff, could mount her campaign for president.

05/24/2010

Widespread criticism of da Silva for the Iran agreement.

05/17/2010

Catching US and other nations by surprise, Brazil and Turkey negotiate a deal by which Iran will send about half its uranium to Turkey to be turned into fuel rods. However, Iran could withdraw the uranium at any time for any reason. Unlike the previous deal worked out with US, Europe, and Russia, Iran would still keep enough fuel to make a nuclear bomb. This also stalls the drive for sanctions. If the developed nations try to end the deal, they will appear to be acting out of self-interest.

04/13/2010

South Africa is added to the group of emerging powers now known as BRICS.

06/15/2009

Brazil, India, China and Russia – known as the BRIC group --meet to discuss ways of changing international financial system. They are frustrated that the dollar is the international reserve currency. They represent about 15% of the world’s economy and 40% of the currency reserves. India, China, and Brazil have weathered the global downturn relatively well.

12/04/2007

President of the Senate, a key ally of da Silva, resigns over corruption scandal.

10/21/2007

At instigation of Venezuela, a development and investment bank sponsored by eight governments - Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Ecuador, Bolivia in addition - is moving ahead to inauguration on 11/3.

10/30/2006

Lula da Silva wins second term as president

Da Silva wins runoff with 61% of the vote.

10/02/2006

Da Silva fails to gain outright majority, with 48.65% of the vote compared to Alckmin’s 41.6%

09/25/2006

With election scheduled for 10/1, da Silva seems to have regained his footing, largely due to support of the poor.

03/27/2006

Finance minister quits because of corruption scandal.

03/14/2006

Main opposition group, the Brazilian Social Democratic Party chooses Gerardo Alckmin, governor of Saõ Paulo state, as its candidate for October election.

08/12/2005

Aide to da Silva admits party used illegal financing. Da Silva denies knowledge of the slush fund.

06/04/2005

Corruption scandal known as Operation Car Wash impacting government

Continuing corruption scandals eroding da Silva’s popularity.

11/04/2004

Defense minister quits in dispute with military about investigation of prisoner deaths during military regime of 1964-1985.

10/27/2002

Lula da Silva elected president

Da Silva wins runoff.

10/06/2002

Da Silva wins 46% of vote to Serra's 23%. Runoff scheduled for 10/27.

09/18/2002

Latest polls show Lula da Silva's Workers’ Party leading Jose Serra's National Party, and close to a majority. Elections scheduled for 10/6. Stocks fall.

06/04/2001

Severe energy shortage forces rationing.

11/15/2000

Federal prosecutors announce investigation of Cardoso for campaign financing irregularities and domestic spying

07/07/1999

Squabbling in four-party coalition, lack of leadership by Cardoso, and jockeying for position in 2002 race lead to stalemate in Congress, preventing legislation required by agreement with IMF from being passed. Cardoso's popularity plummets.

01/1999

Brazil forced to allow the real to float.

11/13/1998

IMF agrees to $41.3 billion bailout for Brazil

IMF agrees to $41.3 billion bailout for Brazil.

10/04/1994

Cardoso wins presidency in the first round with 54% of the vote.

09/03/1994

Fernando Cardoso elected president

Fernando Cardoso, candidate of Social Democratic Party and former finance minister who instituted the program that has reduced inflation by 90% (to 5%), takes lead in polls.

05/21/1994

Socialist Louis Inácio Lula da Silva (Mr. da Silva, known as Lula), leader of Workers' Party, well ahead in polls for October 3 election.